"Run to the Hills" is a song by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It
was released as their sixth single and the first from the band's third studio
album, The Number of the Beast. Credited solely to the band's bassist, Steve
Harris, although significant contributions were made by lead vocalist
Bruce Dickinson, it remains one of their most popular songs, with VH1 ranking it
No. 27 on their list of the 40 Greatest Metal Songs and No. 14 on their list of
the Greatest Hard Rock Songs. A live version of the song, from Live
After Death, was released in 1985 and the original single was reissued in
2002, with all income donated to former drummer Clive Burr's MS Trust Fund.
Composition Due to his previous band, Samson's,
contractual issues, Dickinson could not be credited for any of his contributions
made during the writing of The Number of the Beast. Although bassist Steve Harris
alone receives credit for the song, Dickinson states that he made a "moral
contribution" to the song, in addition to "Children of the Damned" and "The
Prisoner" from the same album. While speaking at the IBM Smarter Business
conference in Stockholm on 10 October 2012, Dickinson revealed that parts of
the song are based on the "rising sixth", inspired by a documentary he
watched which explored why "My Way" was one of the most popular recorded songs.
Themes The song documents the conflict between
European settlers in the New World and Native American tribes during the days
of colonisation and later westward expansion. The song is written from both
perspectives, covering the Natives' viewpoint in the first verse and the
Europeans' in the rest of the song. Original 1982 release
The song was released as a single on 12 February 1982; more than 5 weeks prior
to the album's release on 22 March 1982. The single marked Iron Maiden's debut
release with new vocalist Bruce Dickinson. "Total Eclipse" was selected
as the single's B-side over the song "Gangland", which in turn would appear
on the initial version of the album. The band later regretted this decision, with
Steve Harris commenting, "We chose the wrong track as the B-side. I think if
"Total Eclipse" had been on the album instead of "Gangland", it would have
been far better." The song was added to the The Number of the Beast album when
it was remastered in 1998, and was also included in the original Japanese
version. It is the second of three single covers
featuring Derek Riggs' depiction of Satan, which debuted on "Purgatory" and
later appeared on "The Number of the Beast" covers. According to Riggs, the
idea behind the original "Run to the Hills" cover was based around the idea
of a "power struggle in hell", in which the band's mascot, Eddie, battles Satan
with a tomahawk. Other releases
In 1985, a live version of "Run to the Hills", taken from Live After Death, was
released as the band's thirteenth single, along with live versions of
"Phantom of the Opera" and "Losfer Words" as its B-sides. According to
Riggs, he was asked to paint a cover illustration both "Run to the Hills" and
"Phantom of the Opera" and so the artwork depicts Eddie as the phantom in
a hilly landscape. Following former drummer Clive Burr's
announcement that he was suffering from multiple sclerosis, "Run to the Hills"
was released again in 2002 to raise money for the newly established Clive
Burr MS Trust Fund. Two variations were issued, the original studio version and
a live version taken from the Rock in Rio concert, with different B-sides.
Appearances in media An all-star cover version of the song is
found on the 2005 tribute album Numbers from the Beast, featuring Robin McAuley
on vocals, Michael Schenker and Pete Fletcher on guitars, Tony Franklin on
bass and Brian Tichy on drums. The all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens
recorded the song on their 2005 debut album, World's Only Female Tribute to
Iron Maiden. Former Babes in Toyland singer and guitarist Kat Bjelland's
Katastrophy Wife covered the song in their Heart On EP in 2007. The song was
covered in 2008 by Sign on the tribute CD Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron
Maiden released by Kerrang! magazine. The Swedish lounge metal band Hellsongs
included a cover version on their 2008 album Hymns in the Key of 666. In 2009,
the eventual Swedish Idol 2009 series winner Erik Grönwall sang it during the
live shows and released it as a single in the same year, which peaked at No. 23
in the Swedish Singles Chart. Progressive metal band Dream Theater
covered the song live, along with the entire The Number Of The Beast album,
and released it as an "official bootleg" in 2006.
The song is also featured in the soundtracks of several video games,
including SSX on Tour as the title's main theme, and Grand Theft Auto: The
Lost and Damned. In addition, a cover version is featured in Rock Band, in
which it received an 'Impossible' difficulty rating, while the original
version was made available via download in June 2009.
Track listing 1982 7" single
"Run to the Hills" – 3:51 "Total Eclipse" – 4:24
1982 12" maxi "Run to the Hills" – 3:51
"Total Eclipse" – 4:24 1985 7" single
"Run to the Hills" – 4:03 "Phantom of the Opera" – 7:27
1985 12" single "Run to the Hills" – 4:03
"Phantom of the Opera" – 7:25 "Losfer Words" – 4:14
2002 7" limited single "Run to the Hills" – 3:51
"Total Eclipse" – 4:24 2002 CD single
Part I This version contains a live version of
the song taken from the Rock in Rio live album, while the B-sides were recorded
at the Hammersmith Odeon, London on 20 March 1982. The live video is also from
the Rock in Rio concert. "Run to the Hills" – 5:00
"Children of the Damned" – 4:34 "Total Eclipse" – 3:59
"Run to the Hills" Part II
This version contains the studio version of the song "Run to the Hills", while
the B-sides were recorded live at the Reading Festival on 28 August 1982. It
also includes the Camp Chaos version of the "Run to the Hills" music video.
"Run to the Hills" – 3:56 "22 Acacia Avenue" – 6:34
"The Prisoner" – 5:56 "Run to the Hills"
European Edition This version was released in mainland
Europe, and contained five tracks drawn from the two UK releases above.
"Run to the Hills" – 5:01 "Run to the Hills" – 3:54
"The Prisoner" – 5:56 "Children of the Damned" – 4:34
"Run to the Hills" Personnel
= 1982 studio single = Production credits are adapted from the
7 inch vinyl cover. Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar Clive Burr – drums
Production Martin Birch – producer, engineer
Derek Riggs – cover illustration Ross Halfin – photography
= 1985 live single = Production credits are adapted from the
7 inch vinyl, and 12 inch vinyl covers. Iron Maiden
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
Dave Murray – guitar Adrian Smith – guitar, backing vocals
Nicko McBrain – drums Production
Martin Birch – producer, engineer, mixing
Derek Riggs – cover illustration = 2002 studio / live single =
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
Dave Murray – guitar Adrian Smith – guitar, backing vocals
Janick Gers – guitar Nicko McBrain – drums
Chart performance = Notes =
^ Re-release of all four singles as part of The First Ten Years box set. Exceeded
the length limit of the UK Singles chart.
See also List of anti-war songs
Notes External links
Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics